Advocates are raising concerns about the Iowa Department of Corrections’ new mail system

All non-legal mail, like private letters, photos and playing cards going to inmates at Iowa state prisons now have to be despatched by the third-party firm Pigeonly that may scan and display the originals, and ship the copies to inmates.

The DOC says this new system is supposed to cease medicine, significantly the artificial drug K2, from stepping into prisons by the mail.

However Johnson County assistant public defender Julia Zalenski stated this new system might have a big effect on inmates who’re attempting to take care of connections with folks on the surface.

“I feel taking that away from folks simply actually type of contributes to the general dehumanization that jail inflicts and makes it more durable for folks to really feel like they’re nonetheless members of their households, nonetheless members of their group,” she stated.

Alison Guernsey, a College of Iowa Faculty of Regulation scientific professor and director of the college’s Federal Prison Protection Clinic, stated receiving scanned copies as a substitute of originals can take away from the closeness inmates are attempting to carry onto with family members.

“There’s worth in humanity within the bodily mail that folks obtain from the smells of their home, to the flexibility to the touch the phrases on the web page and possibly really feel the cursive of their husband or spouse, or to have the ability to see the crayon drawing that their seven 12 months previous little one made for them,” Guernsey stated.

There have additionally been considerations about if family members wanted to create an account with Pigeonly or buy a subscription to remain linked with inmates.

However a DOC spokesman stated non-legal mail can nonetheless be despatched by the US Postal Service to the tackle that’s listed on the DOC’s web site. Addresses must embody the ability’s mailing ID code. There’s additionally an inventory of pointers for what might be despatched.